The Panic Years: 'Every millennial woman should have this on her bookshelf' Pandora Sykes

The description of the feelings of 'the Flux' (the period where friends start getting married/having babies but you have yet to join the club) is very real and it's good to see them written down.However, as a 39 year old single woman I actually only felt more panicked by reading it. The impression is repeatedly given that this all will have happened by the time your 40 and even gives lots of stats about pregnancy in 30s and then says something like 'some people even get pregnant in their 40s'. I have loads of friends getting pregnant in their 40s, and many still single but on this cusp.While this audience is clearly not the authors intended sweet spot, and there's nothing wrong with that, I did want to warn others in that age bracket who may have been tempted to read it that it's probably not what you're looking for.

Do not buy this book. You will keep waiting for the big revelation or a wonderful piece of advice but it is just a description of a woman not having the right partner for a while, then wanting a baby and then having it. It has SO MANY SYNONYMS it physically hurt me to read it. It’s almost like the author wrote a very short book and then realized the publisher wanted it to be 4 times longer, so she just put them everywhere she could. Feel sad I wasted a few evenings reading it.

I was really hoping to love this, the reviews and publisher pushes sounded exactly what I needed as a 29year old dealing with the constant pressure of "when will i reproduce?!". The first half of the book hit some great points, well backed up with stats and facts but it should be clearer the 2nd half is all about having the baby. The author has an intrinsic desire to have a baby, which is fabulous, but the blurb and pre-amble when buying really set this up to be more balanced. In the end I couldn't relate to this at all. I thought this was a much broader read about the pressures, choices and experiences but it really didn't hit that note for me at all. The second half of the book was actually incredibly difficult reading for someone unsure if they want children, and that really should of been better set up in the books blurb and promotionIf you're unsure about you're future parenting choices, or in fact know you're not going to have children, you really don't need to read this

Amazing! Just the book I needed to read. I’m in the middle of my 20s and could never put a name to the feeling of feeling like I was running out of time. So glad I brought this, it’s not exactly a self help book but it’s helped me realise I’m not the only woman going through this!

Loved this book! Highly recommend for any woman (or man!) during the weird time in your 20s where half of your mates are getting married and having kids and the other half are living in house shares infested with rats drinking £3 wine. Wonderfully accessible and personal. Thank you, Nell!

The first 2 chapters I actually sobbed. It was like someone was reading aloud my thoughts and worries having been in that exact same position. As a 29 year old divorcee....I am right in those flux years which she describes very well. Unfortunately I simply could not relate to the rest of the book beyond that point. I was expecting more of a balanced reflection of the difficulties and concerns women face in the current climate and how ideas on planning motherhood has adapted....but it seems to lack that balanced argument I was looking for.Absolutely entitled to her opinions and delighted for her that she has gone on to have a happy family she has longed for.

If you’ve love Dolly Aldertons books you will love this one.All of those fears are put eloquently into words.At 26, As my friends start buying houses with their partners I have just got my first boyfriend, and I think several times a week about us all being in different time lines and I try not to think of it being a competition.So this book puts all of that into a reassuring package. It acknowledges the urgency of getting married, having a child, buying a house whilst also explaining that you can take a breath and just live your life.Great pandemic lockdown read - I did cry, miss my boyfriend more than I did already, and it made me call my mum... so yes excellent read

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy of Nell Frizell's The Panic Year's.The Panic Years: something between adolescence and menopause, a personal crisis, a transformation.The panic years can hit at any time but they are most commonly triggered somewhere between the ages of twenty-five and forty. During this time, every decision a woman makes - from postcode to partner, friends to family, work to weekends - will be impacted by the urgency of the one decision with a deadline, the one decision that is impossible to take back: whether or not to have a baby.'Becoming a parent is the only decision that comes with a biological deadline, the only one that cannot be reversed: it is, therefore, the one decision that throws all others into such sharp focus.'I completely identified with this book and this is exactly how I felt in my late twenties before my children. I loved how she discusses fertility as a feminist issue, relationships, breakups and comparing ourselves to others. This was both hilarious and honest and will be a book keep returning to for years to come.